Distorted fry?

[jimsgrl]

I happen to notice one of my remaining molly fry is looking a little...distorted. I don't really know any other way to discribe it. It literally looks like its folding itself in half. Is this normal?

 

[pistolero]

With fish you will have a certain amount that are deformed. Spinal abnormalities are not uncommon.

 

[jimsgrl]

Is that something that could just show up? They're almost 2 weeks old, and it just started looking like that. They were all fine before.


*I tried posting a pic, but I don't think I'm doing it right, lol.*

 

[Wy Renegade]

Yes random mutations in individuals are not all that uncommon especially given how inbreed many of the tank raised fish are becoming. Even the fish and wildlife service has a fairly high number of mutations that show up. Spinal mutations, two-headed or two-tailed fry, no tail, ect. All show up occassionally.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

i had a guppy called Crip cos it had a sudden z shape in its spine. went on to have purely normal fry. wierd lol.

 

[GhillieSniper115]

With fish you will have a certain amount that are deformed. Spinal abnormalities are not uncommon.

Can they die from that? I see some wild spearing like that in the spring but they are eaten cause their slow

 

[Wy Renegade]

i had a guppy called Crip cos it had a sudden z shape in its spine. went on to have purely normal fry. wierd lol.

Actually not weird at all. Your guppy suffered from a type of mutation called a somatic mutation, meaning that it affected only the formation of his own spinal column cells and did not affect his reproductive cells DNA. As a result, all his offspring did not inherit the trait. I had a P. elongatus that was born without a tail, her dorsal and anal fins elongated to allow her to swim. All of her fry were normal.

Can they die from that? I see some wild spearing like that in the spring but they are eaten cause their slow

Usually not directly from the spine deformity, but as you pointed out in the wild they usually are picked off quite young. If you have an aggressive or semiaggressive system, it would be the same in a tank. In a community tank they will probably survive fore quite awhile.